Bangladesh and Pakistan have agreed to strengthen bilateral ties through improved connectivity and cooperation in various sectors, as both nations welcomed the launch of direct shipping between Karachi and Chittagong and stressed the need to resume direct air links.

This commitment to a “forward-looking partnership” was highlighted in a press release by Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs following foreign secretary-level talks held in Dhaka on Thursday—the first such meeting in 15 years.

While both sides expressed satisfaction over progress in travel and visa facilitation, the joint statement from Pakistan notably omitted any mention of Bangladesh’s longstanding and deeply significant demands.

During the consultations, Bangladesh strongly reiterated its call for a formal apology from Pakistan over the genocide committed by the then Pakistani military during the 1971 Liberation War. Dhaka also raised unresolved issues such as the repatriation of stranded Pakistanis, its share of undivided state assets amounting to $4.32 billion, and the transfer of foreign aid intended for victims of the 1970 cyclone.

“As a friendly neighbour in South Asia, we seek Pakistan’s cooperation in building a strong, welfare-oriented, and forward-looking relationship by resolving these unresolved historical issues,” Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Md Jashim Uddin said in a media briefing.

The talks, led by Md Jashim Uddin and his Pakistani counterpart Amna Baloch, also covered wide-ranging areas of collaboration including political, economic, cultural, educational, and strategic cooperation. Both nations acknowledged shared history, cultural ties, and common aspirations.

Notable progress was reported in recent high-level meetings held in New York, Cairo, Samoa, and Jeddah, which have helped reinvigorate diplomatic engagement. Bangladesh welcomed academic and training opportunities offered by Pakistan, while Pakistan lauded recent visits by its artists to Dhaka and proposed further cultural exchange.

Additionally, both countries discussed expanding cooperation in sports, media, and cultural institutions, and the finalisation of multiple Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) in these areas.

On regional cooperation, both sides reaffirmed the need to revitalize the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc), with Pakistan expressing hope that the process would remain free from bilateral political tensions.

In a unified stance on international issues, both countries condemned the ongoing Israeli aggression and human rights violations in Gaza and the broader Occupied Palestinian Territories.